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The Iron Range’s 240-ton pink mining truck
Motorists in Hibbing were treated to a special sight along the Beltline Thursday as the giant pink mining truck bucket of a 240-ton production truck at Hibbing Taconite winded its way through town. Cliffs Natural Resources, part-owner and operator of Hibbing Taconite, will deploy the pink mining truck to raise awareness of breast cancer screening and women’s…
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10 Reasons Why Robins are like Hipsters
I live in the woods of Northern Minnesota, where birds, deer and wolves live in relative peace except when they eat each other. Years ago, house wrens built a nest under our deck and for several years raised their young as we creepily stared at them through the slats above. Well, last year, robins, which are…
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Northern Lights Music Festival in full swing
“You can’t love the opera if you never see it.” That’s what Aurora native, concert pianist, and founder of the Northern Lights Music Festival Veda Zupancic told me when I interviewed her this week for my Sunday column. Indeed, the Northern Lights Music Festival combines an educational component for beginning and advanced music students and…
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All-Star week brings ‘Miracle Field,’ Kent Hrbek to Hibbing
On Wednesday, June 9, at 6 p.m., the Minnesota Twins will help unveil a new “Miracle Field” in Hibbing, Minnesota, as part of the weeklong run-up to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game July 15 at Target Field in St. Paul. The new ball field is located at Bennett Park on the north side of Hibbing,…
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Ely explorers retrace Teddy’s fateful journey on Rio Roosevelt
During the last Great Northern Radio Show, broadcast live from Ely (click and save the podcast!), Amy Freeman detailed the North American expedition she and husband Dave embarked on last year. Dave couldn’t be on the show because he was on the Rio Roosevelt in Brazil, conquering the same jungle waters that almost claimed the life of…
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On Duluth, Don Ness and keepin’ it fresh
This weekend, Duluth Mayor Don Ness told his Facebook followers that he was leaning against running for a third term as leader of northern Minnesota’s largest city. Ness is famous for making important statements and breaking news on social media; it’s one of the things that has made him so popular in a city once better…
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Financing trips up Range mine projects
Sometimes it feels like the entire leadership structure of the Iron Range is standing outside the offices of environmental regulators, waiting for a Willy Wonka-type figure to emerge, do a little flip, and announce whether or not we get to come inside where they keep the permits. But two recent stories about Range mine projects…
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Why the turtle crossed the road
In “The Grapes of Wrath,” John Steinbeck dedicates an entire chapter to an old turtle crossing the road. Though the passage confuses the heck out of high school students, (pro tip) the turtle chapter pretty much summarizes the entire book through symbolism. Some years back my family and I settled in the woods of Itasca…
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Highway 53: So much to keep what we have
Planning continues for the Highway 53 reroute project between Eveleth and Virginia, Minnesota. For those just catching up, an iron mine is invoking a 50-year-old agreement that the state would move the highway when mining activity reached the ore reserves underneath. Highway 53, however, is one of the most important roads on the Iron Range.…
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Finding Minnesota in ‘Fargo’
When Joel and Ethan Coen’s film “Fargo” came out in 1996 I used my brand-new drivers license to trek from the Iron Range to Duluth to see opening night. Everyone was hopped up over the fact that a pretty big movie was set right here in northern Minnesota. But the excitement quickly turned. “Aw, jeez.…
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Feature film ‘Strange Nature’ to be filmed in rural Itasca Co.
As many of you know, I live in the forests of rural Itasca County, Minnesota. It appears that the quiet summer splendor of my deep woods neighborhood will be disturbed, if only temporarily, by the filming of an original feature-length horror movie based on the true story of mutant frogs. “Strange Nature” by filmmaker Jim Ojala will…
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Trampled by Turtles preview new album in hometown show
Trampled by Turtles will unveil tracks from their new album “Wild Animals” at a show in Bayfront Park in TBT’s hometown of Duluth, Minnesota, this Saturday. Christa Lawler previewed the Duluth Trampled by Turtles concert and album in this Wednesday feature in the Duluth News Tribune. “Wild Animals” is due out July 15, though some…
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Talking MN-8, mining on AM950
On Wednesday, June 25, I did a fairly extensive interview on AM950’s Morning Grind in the Twin Cities with guest hosts Wilhelm Davis and CityPages’ Aaron Rupar. The topic: Northern Minnesota mining and Eighth District politics. You can listen or download the podcast; I’m in the second half hour. It’s a pretty good primer on issues like Essar,…
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Summer of the Iron Range selfie
Iron Range Tourism is putting on a unique contest this summer called “Get Your Selfie on the Iron Range.” Take a picture of yourself at an Iron Range tourism attraction and post it to the Iron Range Tourism FB or Instagram page (or e-mail it to them) and you’ll be eligible for a $500 prize.…
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Oberstar memorials held today, Friday
Today and tomorrow, June 26-27, memorials for the late Rep. Jim Oberstar will be held in Minneapolis, Duluth and Chisholm. I posted my thoughts on Jim last month. The press release information is here for those planning to cover or attend the events: Memorials for Congressman Jim Oberstar to be Held This Week Governor Dayton,…